By Simon Nare
The story of South Africa’s national parks is incomplete if told only to tourists without acknowledging the surrounding communities who were forcibly removed during apartheid to make way for the preservation of animals and other species.
This was one of the key messages raised at the South African National Parks (SANParks) Vision 2040 Indaba currently underway in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
The gathering, convened by SANParks, seeks to explore ways of involving communities in conservation efforts across the country.
During a panel discussion, traditional healer Makhosi Amanda Gcabashe argued that tourists were being short-changed because SANParks excluded the history of displaced communities.
She said the focus remained on wildlife and landscapes while erasing the cultural and historical context of the people who once coexisted with nature.
“When you look at the parks, even the marketing focuses on the animals and the land. But the real context—about the communities,
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