Bwabwata National Park: Why an Independent Facilitator Matters
The Ongoing debate surrounding the Bwabwata National Park requires careful, impartial and inclusive engagement. The park is an important national conservation asset, but it is also connected to longstanding questions involving traditional authority, community rights, regional boundaries, land, development and the rights and interests of different communities. For this reason, any initiative aimed at facilitating […] The post Bwabwata National Park: Why an Independent Facilitator Matters appeared
The Ongoing debate surrounding the Bwabwata National Park requires careful, impartial and inclusive engagement.
The park is an important national conservation asset, but it is also connected to longstanding questions involving traditional authority, community rights, regional boundaries, land, development and the rights and interests of different communities.
For this reason, any initiative aimed at facilitating dialogue around Bwabwata should be handled with particular sensitivity.
IMPARTIALITY
The Bwabwata issue is not simply a question of conservation or tourism.
It involves communities and traditional authorities with different historical perspectives and interests.
The Hambukushu Traditional Authority has maintained that it has historical jurisdictional interests in areas associated with Bwabwata, while the Khwe community has pursued recognition of its own traditional leadership.
The disagreement has generated tension and has involved both the Kavango East and Zambezi regions.
The National Assembly has previously heard from the affected communities and recognised the need for broad consultation to find an amicable solution to the dispute.
Given the circumstances, the identity and background of the person facilitating the process matters greatly.
Why not the minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa? The minister may have an important role to play in ensuring that the concerns of the people of the Zambezi region receive attention.
However, if he is directly associated with the Zambezi side of a dispute involving the Hambukushu Traditional Authority and other communities, his participation as the principal facilitator could create a perception of partiality or conflict of interest.
This does not necessarily mean that Sankwasa would act unfairly.
Rather, the concern is that one or more parties could question the neutrality of the process because of his regional or political association.
In a matter as sensitive as Bwabwata, public confidence in the process is almost as important as the outcome itself. An independent facilitator is needed.
FACILITATION
A better approach would therefore be for Sankwasa to support the process politically and institutionally, while requesting that an independent and mutually acceptable facilitator be appointed.
The facilitator could be an experienced person with no direct interest in the dispute and should be acceptable to all major stakeholders.
Such a person could facilitate structured consultations involving:
The Hambukushu Traditional Authority;
The Khwe community and its representatives;
Other traditional authorities and communities with legitimate interests;
The Zambezi Regional Council;
The Kavango East Regional Council;
Relevant national government ministries;
Community organisations and conservancies;
Traditional leaders;
Conservation authorities; and
Other affected stakeholders.
The purpose would be to create a neutral space where every side can present its historical, legal, cultural, environmental and developmental concerns.
In this case an independent facilitator would help prevent the process from being perceived as an attempt by one region or community to advance its own interests.
This is particularly important because Bwabwata has a complex history.
The official management plan records the historical presence and interests of different communities, including the Khwe, Hambukushu, Mafwe and Mayeyi.
It also describes the complicated history of the area before and after independence. The issue therefore requires more than political representation. It requires trust-building, historical understanding, legal clarity and genuine consultation.
NATIONAL ASSET
The Bwabwata National Park should not become a contest between regions or communities.
It is a national conservation asset and part of a wider regional conservation landscape.
At the same time, the legitimate concerns of people who have historical, cultural and livelihood connections to the area cannot simply be ignored.
The objective should be to find a solution that protects conservation while respecting the rights, dignity and legitimate interests of affected communities.
Rather than personally facilitating the negotiations, Sankwasa could play a constructive role by advocating for: – The appointment of an independent facilitator; – Inclusive consultations involving all affected communities; – Transparency in the facilitation process; – Equal opportunities for all parties to present their concerns; – Respect for traditional authorities and community structures; – Protection of the interests of marginalised communities; – Sustainable conservation and tourism development; and – A peaceful and legally sound resolution of outstanding disputes. Such an approach would strengthen, rather than weaken, his role as a representative of the people.
CORE ISSUES
The question is not whether Sankwasa should care about Bwabwata. He should.
The question is whether he shoul
