NEWS
In this compelling rural area of inselbergs , iconic miombo woodland in Niassa province — with all the wildlife within — and occasional meandering rivers , Mozambicans have lost everything before , and work is scarce . What jobs there are , are found in tourism and conservation , with at least 500 permanent staff employed through various conservation organisations , and hundreds of seasonal staff .
When this writer visited Niassa over ten years ago , tourism was a tree-trunk largely occupied by sport hunting , with ecotourism an emerging branch overhanging the reserve ’ s winding and iconic Lugenda river . The hunted wildlife was skittish .
Figure 4 . The NCP has helped develop alternative income streams for villagers in the Niassa Special Reserve , bee-keeping and the production of honey among them . ( Photo : Colleen Begg )
With increasing ecotourism operations taking root in Niassa over the past decade , however , game-viewing became easier and more rewarding , more visitors arrived , and more people had work .
Like a relentless attack by an elephant , that tree has suffered relentless annual body-blows in the past two years , with Covid resulting in almost no visitors in 2020 according to Colleen , and only 40- 60 % recovery in 2021 .
“ Tourism will not recover easily as memories are long and ….. we all know that insecurity and conservation are not comfortable bedfellows .”
Banks , evacuations and gunfire
Banks are also averse to insecurity . While they put up with the relative threat to security posed by Eskom ’ s load shedding in South Africa , they will draw the lines at gunfire and killings as witnessed in Cabo Delgado in the past week .
Colleen says one bank in the district capital , Mecula , has closed , leaving them unable to pay their salaries .
“ No one has access to their money and salaries . The next nearest bank is 140 km away . Cash is risky now .” So , apparently is getting sick . Or shot .
Figure 5 . Villagers leaving Erevuka , the first village attacked , carrying what they can . Image taken and sent by an NCP Community Wildlife Guardian . Four of their 47 community wildlife guardians have lost their homes in this latest fighting . ( Photo : Colleen Begg )
District . They have nowhere else to go , This is their home , their livelihood and their future .”
After the first attack of this Niassa insurgency , Colleen says she was warned by an elder , born in Niassa Reserve and a survivor of the two previous ( liberation and civil ) wars , Mzee Mustafa , to take the insurgency “ very seriously … this is not a game , and we need to be very vigilant and work together to protect our families otherwise we will lose everything ”.
“ 50 % of health technicians have left ( the Mecula area ). Several clinics have been left without a medic . The ambulance can ’ t help , and little other transport is available for emergencies . Medicines can ’ t come in , and people can ’ t get out to hospital .”
Most of the people in Niassa are fishermen or subsistence farmers . This is the season for preparing fields and planting crops ahead of the rains , crops which provide the food needed to get through the long dry season .
“ If this is not resolved soon there will be food shortages and hunger ”.
31 Grassroots Vol 22 No 1 March 2022