Understanding the Experiences of Small-Scale Commercial Afforestation Farmers and Governance Conflicts in Manguzi, South Africa: Political Ecology Perspective

Small-scale commercial afforestation has always played a vital role in stimulating rural livelihoods in South Africa and across the globe. This paper explores the lived experiences of small-scale commercial afforestation farmers in Manguzi, South Africa to understand the factors that influence these farmers to get involved in this afforestation and the impacts on their livelihoods. This paper also investigates the conflict between the farmers and the Department of Water and Sanitation over the policies that control afforestation practices and water use in South Africa. Following a qualitative approach, 26 small-scale farmers were interviewed, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. There are two types of commercial afforestation: large-scale and small-scale. The findings indicate that small-scale commercial afforestation is the only economic activity that has been able to earn rural dwellers a living for more than 30 years in Manguzi. However, it has succeeded at the expense of water resources which is concerning to the conflicted Department of Water and Sanitation. Following political ecology, we argue that environmental issues in Manguzi are the results of socio-economic conditions and that asymmetric power relations exist between the farmers and the Department of Water and Sanitation. The study recommends that the management of afforestation should be firmly grounded in principles of fairness, recognising the rights and agency of the underprivileged within the broader political and ecological framework.