Abstract:
The present research is subordinated to the theme: Community Participation in the
Resettlement Process in the Massingir District - Limpopo National Park from 2005 to 2019
and aims to understand the participatory approaches used in the resettlement process of the
Macavene community in the Limpopo National Park (PNL) in
Massingir district, the
research specifically aims to identify the community actors involved in the resettlement
process; describe the forms of participation used in the resettlement process; analyze the
factors that influenced the Macavene community's participation in the resettlement process,
and finally, analyze the socio-economic impact of the resettlement process in the Macavene
community. At a methodological level, the approach is qualitative, and the method is the case
study. Participation in the resettlement process involved stakeholders namely: the Massingir
District Government, host and resettled community, Macavene and Banga joint resettlement
committee, pilot project resettlement working group and the community at large. All
community members felt part of the process as they were only guided to participate in the
meetings through awareness programs via community radios and through local leaders. The
resettlement process of the Macavene community in the district of Massingir did not allow
for an active participation of the population, a fact that leads to the inference that the
experiences and perceptions of the locals were not considered because the community only
participated to legitimize the process and not to influence decision making.
