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

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Those not based on membership, whose functions are the concern of the general community • The water committee; • The road maintenance committee; and • The development committee. • The rural health motivators Membership-based groups • The Maize Farmers' Association • The Cotton Farmers' Association • Beekeepers • Permaculture interest groups • Fish breeders • Cattle Farmers' Association (not recognised at the time of the study, but was in the process of being finalised) 2.4.4.2. Livelihood characteristics and sources of income The Shewula community is characterised by a high rate of unemployment, and an exchange economy that includes, but is not limited to, cash. There is a lack of a reliable and steady cash flow for most households, with the general population living a subsistence existence. The primary crops grown in the Shewula area are maize and cotton, although some members also grow other crops, such as groundnuts, and various types of fruit and vegetables. Maize is grown mainly for food and the manufacture of traditional brew, although those with a surplus do store and/or sell some of their produce. Cotton is the primary cash crop, and the Cotton Farmers Association handles the sale of the produce to cotton buyers at Maphiveni. There are some community members who are experimenting with other crops, such as bananas and pineapples, which they then sell to local customers from the community who can afford to buy the produce. Groundnuts are another such crop. Aside from these subsistence and commercial agricultural activities, there are a number of other means whereby members of the Shewula community earn their livelihoods. Some residents have employment outside of Shewula (in centres such as Mbabane, Manzini and Siteki) as well as further afield (such as in RSA, and especially on the mines). Some remain in Shewula or obtain part-time and/or seasonal employment with the local sugar companies (this is especially the case during the harvesting season). Others supplement their livelihoods by producing products for sale either within the community or to outside buyers. Some of these alternative income sources include: • Traditional beer, which is brewed and sold for approximately R1,40/litre. • Natural resources that are harvested and sold, including firewood, grass, herbs and wild fruit. Wild guavas, for example, are sold at a cost price of 5c each, while a 25-litre container of boganu brew sells for R50. • Some of the women in the community produce handicrafts that they then sell, such as grass or reed mats and woven baskets. At the moment, the primary market for these goods is Maphiveni, with some customers coming from Vuvulani to buy products in Shewula. Shewula community members also occasionally purchase such items.
2.4.4.3. Economic support structures in the Shewula community. There is a working relationship between the Maize Farmers Association in Shewula and representatives of the Chinese government in Swaziland. The Chinese provide the necessary inputs for maize farming, on a repayment basis, whereby the farmers have to "pay" the Chinese in the form of a certain number of bags of maize. Some technical assistance with agricultural activity is provided to the community by outreach programmes such as that offered by Mlawula Nature Reserve. The Mlawula Community Outreach programme provides support and training for a number of projects, including the establishment and upkeep of permaculture gardens. A beekeeping programme has been established whereby honey is harvested and then sold to the Ministry of Agriculture. One of the community associations which aims to provide support for economic activities of their members is the women's group Asitfutfuke Bomake Association. Members of the group participate in an informal saving scheme, the luholiswano, in which people contribute monies to a fund and then each month the accumulated funds are received by one of the contributing members of the group. Money is used to buy something that has been requested by the recipient, such as corrugated iron for roofing, a radio or other items needed or desired by a household. The aim of these groups is to help improve the quality of life of a household, usually by assisting in the improvement of homesteads. In recent months government spending has contributed to the economic development of local communities. Funds that have recently been made available for community development total E5.5 million, to be shared between 55 centres 50 . Shewula is one of four areas that combine to form one such centre. The other three are Mafucula, Lomahasha and Tsambonkulu. Each constituency could therefore receive up to E100,000, but allocation would depend on the projects that the money is needed for. E5 million has also apparently been made available for community game reserves 51 2.4.4.4. Land tenure In accordance with the traditional land allocation system in Swaziland, any organisation or individual wanting to undertake an operation or use a portion of land in Shewula must first apply to the traditional leadership and authority structures (including the Chief, his Libandla, and land allocators) for permission to do so. (The seSwati term for this is Khonto). The chief of a community has the right to allocate land amongst the members of a community under his jurisdiction. In some instances, insecurity in land tenure can arise, such as when groups of people change their allegiance from one chief to another. 2.4.4.5. Local good neighbourliness initiatives In the past, disputes over land tenure have sometimes characterised relations between the Shewula community and neighbouring properties, and have resulted in some unhappy incidents of conflict and violence. One such incident resulted in the death of a community member. This created and/or was exacerbated by a number of 50 These centres are part of the Tmkhundla system of governance in the country. See Section 2.5.2. 51 This was mentioned by Chief Sifundza, who said that the King stated this in his opening speech to parliament in March 1999.
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A Feasibility Study of the Proposed
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would
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2.3. Biophysical Context ..........
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6.1.4. Conclusions ................
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Box 9.1 Figure 6.1. Consideration o
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
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Executive Summary INTRODUCTION The
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Executive Summary The findings of t
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Executive Summary Positive aspects:
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Chapter 4 - Socio-Cultural Findings
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Chapter 4 ■ Socio-Cultural Findin
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Chapter 4 - Socio-Cultural Findings
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Chapter 5 - Environmental Evaluatio
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Chapter 6 - Tourism, Marketing and
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The following model was formulated
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Chapter 7 - Conclusions 7.1. INTROD
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Chapter 7 - Conclusions 7.1.3.2. Po
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Chapter 7 - Conclusions and well-be
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Chapter 8 • Recommendations shoul
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Chapter 8 - Recommendations 8.2.4.
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Chapter 9 - The Way Forward proposa
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Chapter 9 - The Way Forward Notes o
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Chapter 9 - The Way Forward communi
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References Obua, J. 1997: The Poten
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The four questions that the study t
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3. Requirements The resources that
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Outreach programme at Mlawula could
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If the tourism development site wer
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Feasibility Study of Proposed Tourism Dev in Shewula, NE ...

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