Multi-stakeholder management of a wetland in the City of Tshwane: the case of Colbyn

Abstract

South Africa is ranked as one of the most mega-biodiverse countries in the world. But as the country faces poverty, unemployment and income inequalities, it is a mammoth task to develop, sustainably use and appreciate this natural capital. Thus, South Africa must find ways to ensure a balance between conservation of biodiversity and the achievement of socio- economic development. But when land is set aside for conservation, in most cases, local communities are on the receiving end of the decision making, with little to no opportunity to be involved. The Colbyn Valley Wetland is different, however. The site provides invaluable ecosystem goods and services to the local residents, as well as being an integral part of the Hartbeesspruit catchment and Roodeplaat dam. It has a history of sustained attempts to convert the site into housing estates, shopping centres or car parking. These attempts have met with unrelenting resistance by the local residents. Contrary to the experiences of other communities in South Africa, Colbyn Valley residents have elected to work together with other stakeholders to ensure the protection of this site. This study documents the processes that the residents undertook to protect the wetland. In this regard, local authorities can learn how to leverage stakeholder engagement to protect other sites. Importantly, the study found that the various stakeholders involved in the preservation of the Colbyn Valley Wetland were driven by different but interwoven interests. Thus, different interests need to be taken into consideration before protected areas adjacent to communities can be proclaimed. For example, the primary stakeholders - local residents who initiated the call to protect the Colbyn Valley Wetland – hold strong beliefs that the wetland must be preserved for ecosystem goods and services that it provides. Secondary stakeholders – the provincial government departments responsible for the management and protection of ecosystems – only acted when pressured by the local residents, despite their legal obligations to protect the site (as it carries so much value to the water provision of the city). The tertiary stakeholders – various voluntary institutions and people – elected to support the conservation effort due to the manner in which the local residents organised themselves and developed a vision for the site.