Devil’s claw harvesting benefits San people

THE San communities, the most marginalised in Namibia, are slowly starting to reap some benefits from natural resources in the few remaining areas they are allowed to occupy, with the harvesting of devil’s claw plant improving.

About 12 tonnes of the medicinal plant are expected to be collected this year and earn N$228 000 for the San, says the latest annual report of Wimsa, the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa. In 2006, following a two-year ban on devil’s claw harvesting resulting from uncontrolled and unsustainable harvesting in previous years, the Na Jaqna Conservancy east of Grootfontein implemented a new devil’s claw scheme under which 78 residents in the conservancy harvested and sold devil’s claw to an exporter.The ban was lifted following lengthy negotiations with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and the Kung traditional authority in Omatako village.It was agreed to put a detailed management and monitoring plan in place.Devil’s claw harvesting by-laws were laid down by the Na Jaqna conservancy management and the traditional authority.This resulted in the issuing of permits to conservancy members in 2006 and limited, conservancy-supervised harvesting of close to two tonnes, generating about N$31 000.This year, in conjunction with Wimsa and the Namibian branch of the Centre for Research Information in Africa (CRIAA), the San harvesters received training to hone their skills.”A total of 89 people were trained and 253 were given harvesting equipment consisting of 50-kilogram bags, stainless steel knives and drying nets,” the Wimsa report stated.With 253 registered harvesters to date, and a quota of 50 kg per individual for 2007, about 12,6 tonnes would be harvest by year-end, generating approximately N$227 700 for the San.At Omega village in the Caprivi Region, which now falls in the newly proclaimed Bwabwata National Park, the mainly Khwe-speaking San harvesters also received training, equipment and transport.The training, provided to Wimsa’s extension officers by CRIAA and then passed on by them to the community, focused on producing a high quality devil’s claw for export, but also on minimising the environmental impact and ensuring sustainable harvesting.”The dried product was sold to registered buyers for up to N$18 per kilogramme, whereas illegal roadside buyers typically pay around N$6 per kilogramme,” the Wimsa report stated.The San harvesters at Omega agreed that N$1,50 per kg would be paid into a community fund.The community will decide how to spend this money in the new season, possibly on equipment such as new drying nets.Further training this year covered other villages in the area.In 2006, following a two-year ban on devil’s claw harvesting resulting from uncontrolled and unsustainable harvesting in previous years, the Na Jaqna Conservancy east of Grootfontein implemented a new devil’s claw scheme under which 78 residents in the conservancy harvested and sold devil’s claw to an exporter.The ban was lifted following lengthy negotiations with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and the Kung traditional authority in Omatako village.It was agreed to put a detailed management and monitoring plan in place.Devil’s claw harvesting by-laws were laid down by the Na Jaqna conservancy management and the traditional authority.This resulted in the issuing of permits to conservancy members in 2006 and limited, conservancy-supervised harvesting of close to two tonnes, generating about N$31 000.This year, in conjunction with Wimsa and the Namibian branch of the Centre for Research Information in Africa (CRIAA), the San harvesters received training to hone their skills.”A total of 89 people were trained and 253 were given harvesting equipment consisting of 50-kilogram bags, stainless steel knives and drying nets,” the Wimsa report stated.With 253 registered harvesters to date, and a quota of 50 kg per individual for 2007, about 12,6 tonnes would be harvest by year-end, generating approximately N$227 700 for the San.At Omega village in the Caprivi Region, which now falls in the newly proclaimed Bwabwata National Park, the mainly Khwe-speaking San harvesters also received training, equipment and transport.The training, provided to Wimsa’s extension officers by CRIAA and then passed on by them to the community, focused on producing a high quality devil’s claw for export, but also on minimising the environmental impact and ensuring sustainable harvesting.”The dried product was sold to registered buyers for up to N$18 per kilogramme, whereas illegal roadside buyers typically pay around N$6 per kilogramme,” the Wimsa report stated.The San harvesters at Omega agreed that N$1,50 per kg would be paid into a community fund.The community will decide how to spend this money in the new season, possibly on equipment such as new drying nets.Further training this year covered other villages in the area.