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

There is also a concern that Shewula's cattle will move across to other properties in
the Conservancy if there are no fences between the different properties.
4.5. OPPORTUNITIES
There are numerous suggestions from Shewula community members about how
some of the problems which they identified could be solved, especially with regard to
problems relating to the reserve and obstacles to tourism development. The
possibilities that were identified for management of the proposed reserve and the
perceived opportunities arising from the proposed tourism development are discussed
below, followed by a section noting other, more general suggestions.
4.5.1. Opportunities for the management of the Reserve
a) Wildlife protection
• The possibility was raised that the community police could be responsible for
guarding the game and/or that they could act as scouts in the reserve.
• Some members of the community feel that wildlife protection is or should be the
responsibility of the whole community: 'People are saying that if this thing is going
to help them, then they have a responsibility to look after it, and then they insist on
no hunting and poaching.'
• The rangers should have guns because of the possibility of cross-border poaching
by Mozambicans. (There was general consensus that outsiders would definitely
carry guns and would use them, and that therefore the community needs to have
guns for wildlife protection.)
• Shewula rangers could swap positions with rangers from other reserves, in order
to prevent familiarity / loyalty from influencing the performance of their duties.
• Opinions about poaching varied, but some offered suggestions for what they saw
as appropriate penalties or punishments for poaching. There is a strong sense that
the issue of poaching would have to be dealt with by the traditional authorities:
'Poachers will have to be taken to the Chiefs kraal and the council must decide
what to do. They must not be shot. The law should take its course.'
b) Access control
• Access to the proposed reserve could be on a certain day (or days), and/or
permits issued to allow access to the area. The specifics of how such a system
might work were not discussed, but there was a suggestion made that permits
would have to be carried at all times while visiting the reserve.
• There was also a suggestion that those collecting cattle would need permission to
go through a gate.
• One person commented that if only those from Shewula were allowed access, this
would be possible because 'if people are seen beyond what is known to be the last
homestead in Shewula, this will arouse suspicion.' This person also implied that it
would therefore be possible to identify outsiders who could be poaching in the
reserve, and that they could then be shot by the rangers.
• There was also a suggestion that an electrified fence would prevent poachers from
entering the proposed reserve. Animals could, in turn, be prevented from
accessing the community by an electrified fence around the proposed reserve.
(The suggestion for an electrified fence seems to have quite a bit of support,
especially if permits are available to allow community access.)