CHAPTER FIVE

‘WE AGREED TO MOVE, BUT WE DID NOT DO SO FREELY’. RESETTLEMENT FROM THE LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK,

Marja Spierenburg1

Introduction

In 2001 the government of Mozambique declared a new national park, Limpopo National Park. The declaration was the result of an agreement between the governments of , Mozambique and Zimbabwe to establish the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, which also includes protected areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe (see map 2). Consequently, about 27 000 people suddenly found themselves living inside a protected area. Plans were made to relocate about 7000 of these people outside the park, as they are occupying an area that is deemed most suitable for sustaining wildlife populations and the development of tourism. In December 2008 the first village was resettled. The creation of transfrontier conservation areas, i.e. conservation areas that straddle national borders, is a growing trend. Many environmen- tal organizations are promoting this, arguing that eco-systems overlap international boundaries (see Aberly 1999; Wolmer 2003), and therefore eco-system management and conservation should be defined by ecologi- cal criteria, not political borders. Proponents of transfrontier conserva- tion argue that the creation of transfrontier ‘megaparks’ will generate economic development—especially through an increase in revenues from

1 This chapter was written as a follow-up of a conference presentation that was a co-authored with Jessica Milgroom of Wageningen University. I am grateful to Jessica for her inputs. I would also like to express my gratitude to the participants of the panel entitled ‘Remaking Human Rights: Between Western Hegemony and Local Hierarchy’ at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting held in Washington D.C. from November 29-December 2, 2007, especially to the panel organisers Prof. dr. Bill Derman and Prof. dr. Anne Hellum. Research for this chapter was funded by the South African Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) and the Transboundary Protected Areas Research Initiative (TPARI), a program running under the auspices of the IUCN South Africa, and funded through the Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change, by way of a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation (SBR-9521914). 102 marja spierenburg

Chire dzi

Zimbabwe Gonarezhou National Park

Chefu Mabote

Sengwe Corridor Limpopo Pafuri

Banhine ohoyandou National Park

Giyani Limpopo National Park Moçambique Letaba Giriyon do

Letaba Maalamba South Massinger Africa Phalaborwa Canicado Chókwè Southern African Widlife College Chibuto Manjacaze Pilgrims Rest Magude Macia Xai-Xai

White River Komatiepoort Nel spruit dile Moamba Indian Croco Marracuene Ocean Bulembu Bad plaas Namaacha Maputo Moyeni Swaziland

Map 2. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Source: , www.peaceparks.org tourism—and that communities living in and adjacent to these ‘mega- parks’ will benefit from this development. A number of authors relate the worldwide promotion of transfron- tier conservation to the increased importance of the private sector to