Realms of conservation or "wildlife liberation": a case of Sengwe in Zimbabwe

In the past two decades, adoption of Transfrontier Conservation Areas by African governments as a panacea to the management of wild resources that transcend political boundaries has been on the increase. The implementation process, however, has effects not only on the proliferation of the tourism industry and improved conservation of natural resources, but on the livelihoods of local people. Using the case of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area initiative, this study looks at its effects on the livelihoods of Sengwe people and how they respond to these external shocks and stresses as well as their ability to handle risks. I use qualitative methodology to detail an ethnographic account of the local people's resilience to the effects of the initiative, covering the period 2007-2009. The study draws attention to the voices of those who are seldom heard. I show how little has changed regarding translating conservation policy into practice from the perspective of local people despite the shift from the exclusionist approach of the colonial era to participatory rhetoric. I argue that the initiative is constructed on top-down hegemonic development approaches with effects on the livelihoods of local people. Local people adapted a number of livelihood strategies to cope with external shocks from effects of the initiative. The study concludes that the initiative did not attain all its objectives and its focus on wildlife suggests a facilitation of the commoditisation of wild resources that is not a people-centred initiative.