Policy Formulation and Collaborative Management: The Case of Ziwa Site, Eastern Zimbabwe

Ziwa is an archaeological site that is located in Eastern Zimbabwe. The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) carry the legal mandate to manage this vast site, which lies in the heart of a sprawling heritage community. The mandate is derived from the NMMZ Act Chapter (25:11 of 2001), which gives the institution the power to protect, preserve and present the country's national monuments. In this article, our aim is to explain the contestations that stemmed from a policy that previously did not recognise the importance of community participation in the management of heritage sites. Because of this legislative flaw, tensions rose between NMMZ and the Ziwa community. For NMMZ, the random cutting down of trees at Ziwa was posing serious conservation challenges because most of the firewood was being harvested within the archaeological site. The community argued, however, that their forefathers used the site freely since time immemorial, and as a result the site itself has survived up to this very day. How was a solution found, to the satisfaction of both parties? How efficient has it proven to be in time? Our primary argument is that it is essential to define a policy that is conceptualised and articulated through the involvement of the local heritage communities in order to mitigate tensions. The steps that led to a collaborative management policy will be delineated.