Land Claims & National Parks: The Makuleke Experience

by Bertus de Villiers (Editor)

The restoration of land rights is one of the key factors in the transformation process of South Africa. In few areas is the potential for conflict of interest so apparent than when land claims are introduced on national parks and other conservation areas, held dear by the nation. While national parks and other conservation reserves fulfill a crucial role in the local and regional economic development of South Africa, it is also crucial that historical wrongs, which may have led to the establishment of such parks, are rectified. Numerous parks and conservation areas were, after all, established on land obtained through discriminatory means from black people. When the Makuleke claim against the northern part of the Kruger National Park was introduced, the scene was set for a lengthy and emotional encounter and it was against this background that the Makuleke claim was a "test" to reconcile competing interests. The joint management model, agreed upon by the South African National Parks (SANP) and the Makuleke community to settle the claim, is an example of how closer co-operation can be structured to facilitate co-operation and economic empowerment of neighbouring communities, while protecting the conservation assets of South Africa. This settlement may prove to be a guiding light for similar disputes in other areas of South and southern Africa.

140 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999