Political dimensions of environmental conflicts in Kosi Bay, South Africa: significance of the new post-apartheid governance system

Figures & data

Figure 1: The Kosi Bay area

Figure 2: Maputaland, Apartheid era

Table 1: The new governance framework for the Kosi Bay area

Authority level	Governance body	Financial ability to drive development	Legitimacy
1. Bodies in charge of the territory part of the protected area (GSLWP)
(Excluding the LSDI, which has the duty of developing infrastructures outside the protected area, and the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife (KZNW), which has the duty of sustaining natural resources outside the protected area)
The normal prerogatives of national and provincial government apply for the territory outside the protected area.
International	UNESCO	No development responsibility, but has a regulatory capacity with regard to the natural preservation of the site	International recognition
National	Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (GSLWP)	General management of the new park in collaboration with KZNW on the conservation side, the Provincial Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism, and LSDI on the development side	National government (ANC) agencies No direct election from the people
	Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI)	High financial capacity Infrastructure development agency plus leader in joint-venture tourism projects
Provincial	KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife (KZNW, formerly KZNNCS–KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Services)	Low financial capacity but new local involvement respecting new IUCN principles	Provincial conservation agency Low popular legitimacy at this stage
2. Comparison between territories inside and outside the protected area
Regional: inside the GSLWP	District Management Area	Low financial capacity (no base build on rates or levies)	Elected municipal council (currently IFP)
Regional: outside the GSLWP	District Council (DC 27)
Local: inside the GSLWP	KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife local board (Kosi Bay–Coastal Forest Reserve)	Some financial capacity with the collection of community levies on tourism	Board of representative stakeholders
Local: outside the GSLWP	Local Municipality (KZ 271)	Low financial capacity (no base built on rates or levies)	Elected municipal council (currently IFP)
3. A single Tribal Authority for the whole area
Local traditional: Tribal Authority Management	Tembe Tribal Authority (land ownership and management): different indunas per community directed by Inkhosi Tembe	Few land rental rates	Legitimacy is a sensitive issue: either a high traditional legitimacy or a non-democratic autocracy
Source: Author

Figure 3: Different groups of stakeholders in Kosi Bay and their philosophy of action. Source: Author