Knowledge, power, livelihoods and commons practices in Dwesa-Cwebe, South Africa

Abstract

This paper explores two aspects of the management of the commons in the Transkei area of Dwesa-Cwebe and traces them from the 1870s to today. The first is the intersection of power, politics and knowledge. National interests are privileged over local interests in the management of forests and grasslands that were controlled by local people before the onset of colonialism. This leads to the marginalisation of certain groups. The second is the economics of common resources. The paper contrasts communities' multiple livelihood strategies with the state's single strategy system. It looks at how state policies have changed people's status and their dependence on resources, and reflects on Dwesa-Cwebe's prospects of managing its commons now that local institutions have been undermined and livelihood patterns changed.

Keywords:

• Knowledge
• power
• livelihoods
• local people
• grasslands
• forests
• commons

This special issue was produced with the support of the European Union's Sixth Framework programme through the Cross-Sectoral Commons Governance in Southern Africa (CROSCOG) Project No. 043982. This work does not reflect the Commission's views and in no way anticipates its future policy in this area. The author wishes to thank Professor Charlie Shackleton and the staff of the Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, for help with data collection; Professor Robin Palmer for help with locating materials; Dr Derrick Fay for insights about the research area; Dr Stephen Turner for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article; colleagues on the CROSCOG project for their support; Dr Doug Wilson for his patience with the team; the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape, for its support and encouragement; and the anonymous reviewers for their help in shaping this article.