Wildlife Crime and State Security in South(ern) Africa: An Overview of Developments

Ramutsindela, Maano

doi:10.1080/02589346.2016.1201376

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…These boundaries can be used to explain and justify the use of coercion and (deadly) violence against poachers ( Neumann, 2004 ; McClanahan and Wall, 2016 ). There are direct parallels between the present day criminalisation of poachers and colonial era initiatives to control or outlaw hunting by African communities that produced deeply held grievances and animosity towards wildlife conservation ( Duffy et al, 2015 ; Duffy et al, 2016 ; Ramutsindela, 2016 ). Many of these grievances still persist today and forms part of the reason for why young men might enter the poaching economy ( Hübschle, 2017 ), as discussed in the next section.…”

Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, militarised conservation tactics in specific contexts in South Africa often resemble apartheid-era counterinsurgency practices, where efforts to win the support of local people also coincide with tactics of intimidation and use of violence. These tactics also currently extend into Mozambique, and include: the development of informant networks, co-option and development of cultures of mistrust within communities ( Annecke and Masubele, 2016 ; Lunstrum, 2015 ; Massé et al, 2017a , Massé et al, 2017b ); raiding and invading people's homes in operations to uncover evidence of wildlife crimes ( Ramutsindela, 2016 ; Massé et al, 2017a ; Büscher, 2018 ); and active displacement of communities for conservation ( Massé and Lunstrum, 2016 ; Witter and Satterfield, 2018 ). More forceful approaches to conservation can also be accompanied by new incentive schemes, such as the provision of game meat to schools and water reticulation programmes.…”

Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a debate in conservation about whether it can or should address poverty and inequality; this is important because efforts to address these problems underpin ‘hearts and minds’ approaches. However, these approaches are then systematically undermined by practices of intimidation, violence and surveillance which can be part and parcel of militarisation ( Massé and Lunstrum, 2016 ; Massé et al, 2017a ; Ramutsindela, 2016 ). As discussed in more depth below, addressing inequalities and ensuring that conservation does not exacerbate them is necessary to tackle the underlying causes of poaching in the longer term (see for example Cooney et al, 2017 ; Haas and Ferreira, 2018 ; Hübschle, 2017 ; Hübschle and Shearing, 2018 ; Duffy et al, 2016 ; Duffy et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why we must question the militarisation of conservation

Duffy

Massé

Smidt

et al. 2019

Biological Conservation

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255

167

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Concerns about poaching and trafficking have led conservationists to seek urgent responses to tackle the impact on wildlife. One possible solution is the militarisation of conservation, which holds potentially far-reaching consequences. It is important to engage critically with the militarisation of conservation, including identifying and reflecting on the problems it produces for wildlife, for people living with wildlife and for those tasked with implementing militarised strategies. This Perspectives piece is a first step towards synthesising the main themes in emerging critiques of militarised conservation. We identify five major themes: first, the importance of understanding how poaching is defined; second, understanding the ways that local communities experience militarised conservation; third, the experiences of rangers; fourth, how the militarisation of conservation can contribute to violence where conservation operates in the context of armed conflict; and finally how it fits in with and reflects wider political economic dynamics. Ultimately, we suggest that failure to engage more critically with militarisation risks making things worse for the people involved and lead to poor conservation outcomes in the long run.

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Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Focusing On the Symptoms Not The Root Causes Of Poachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Why we must question the militarisation of conservation

Duffy

Massé

Smidt

et al. 2019

Biological Conservation

Self Cite

255

167

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As a military officer, Lt. General (and future president) Ian Khama was instrumental in bringing the army into wildlife conservation. The move was prompted in part by substantial waves of commercial poaching in Botswana, which were linked to liberation struggles in southern Africa (Ramutsindela, 2016).…”

Section: Situating Botswana's Conservation Reputation In the Context ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

LaRocco

Mogende

2022

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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Since the publication of the influential text, An African Miracle, much scholarship has focused on Botswana's supposed “exceptionality” anchored in the country's economic growth and sustained democracy. Botswana's success story has proved enduring and versatile, being deployed in numerous contexts including in relation to Botswana’s status as a conservation “safe haven” in southern Africa. Many green plaudits are associated with the tenure of former president Ian Khama (2008–2018), who broke with longstanding tradition and actively campaigned against his own vice president and successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Their acrimonious relationship is multifaceted but in this article, we refer to disputes over wildlife conservation policy wherein Masisi rolled back his predecessor's signature conservation policies, focusing specifically on the reversal of the hunting ban, the disarming of some anti-poaching officers, and changes in Botswana's stance in international environmental diplomacy regarding ivory and the CITES regime. We contend that Khama's conservation decisions—underpinned by lack of consultation and green violence—made Botswana a “green miracle” to outside observers while contravening the central principles of local democratic practice such as therisanyo (consultation) cherished in the country. We argue that Masisi's reversal of Khama-era positions that were unpopular with conservation-adjacent communities represents not a “fall from grace,” but rather the bringing back down to earth of policies that had alienated the local population, thus indicating the potential to pursue inclusive governance that domestically Botswana acclaims.

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“…Progressive scholars have started to look at the root causes of environmental and wildlife crimes by considering broader economic, political and systemic factors. 4 Their assessment is that broad-based community empowerment is key, not only to addressing structural inequality and poverty but also to alleviating wildlife crime and other crime types. Is the fight against organised environmental crime more important than the dismantling of organised structural inequality and poverty?…”

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confidence: 99%

Organized environmental crimes: Trends, theory, impact and responses

Hübschle

Faull

2017

SA crime q.

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Once considered peripheral and a green matter, wildlife crimes have moved up global security and policy agendas. The UN General Assembly, for example, adopted two resolutions to tackle wildlife crimes in 2015 and 2016. Meanwhile the South Africa and the Southern African Development (SADC) have declared wildlife trafficking a priority crime issue. Rhino poaching, in particular, has captured the attention of the public, international community and our national government. Less charismatic plant and wildlife species are also harvested and trafficked across the globe. The lesser-known pangolin is considered the most trafficked species while cycads constitute the most threatened plant species on the planet. The illegal or irregular extraction of natural resources, logging, mining, overfishing, trafficking of toxic, nuclear or electronic waste, and industrial dumping have all become areas of concern.

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Wildlife Crime and State Security in South(ern) Africa: An Overview of Developments

Cited by 15 publications

References 20 publications

Why we must question the militarisation of conservation

Why we must question the militarisation of conservation

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

Organized environmental crimes: Trends, theory, impact and responses

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